Carroll man arrested after death of toddler left in his care

State police charge him in assault of two siblings

Maryland State Police arrested a Westminster man yesterday after a toddler who had been in his care died and an investigation led police to charge the man with beating two of the girl's siblings.

Anthony P. Flakes, 47, told police that he was caring for his girlfriend's four children at their home in the 100 block of Bond St. when he discovered about 11:30 p.m. Wednesday that the toddler had vomited in her crib and was unresponsive. He said he ran next door carrying Mikayla R. Barrett, 14 months, and asked the neighbor to dial 911 because he did not have a phone, police said.

Mikayla was taken to Carroll Hospital Center, where she was pronounced dead about 1 a.m. yesterday. The medical examiner in Baltimore conducted an autopsy but had not determined the cause of death.

"There was some bruising on the body," Maj. Greg Shipley said. He said an investigation continues "to determine when and how those bruises were inflicted."

No one has been charged in the toddler's death. But investigators interviewed her three older siblings and said there was probable cause to believe Flakes had beaten two of them.

Police said Flakes told them that Mikayla and the other children - a 10-year-old girl, a 7-year-old boy and a 2-year-old girl - were in his care after his girlfriend, Robin L. Barrett, 32, went to work about 9:30 p.m.

Investigators said evidence showed that the 7-year-old was punched in the chest and hit on the side with a shoe, leaving bruises in both places, and that the 2-year-old was hit repeatedly on the buttocks with a shoe.

Flakes, who faces two counts each of child abuse and second-degree domestic assault, was arrested about 2:30 p.m. at his brother's Westminster home.